Video Game / Mech Assault

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MechAssault was a Third-Person ShooterMecha Game developed by Day 1 Studios and published by Microsoft for the Xbox in November of 2002. MechAssault was initiated when Denny Thorley of Day 1 Studios approached Jon Kimmich of Microsoft about developing an original BattleTech game built from the ground up to support console play.

A sequel, MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf, was released on December 28, 2004.It picks up right where the first game left off, with the heroes recuperating on the planet Dante. The Blakeists soon make a return, in search of the MacGuffin that the team found in the first game. They soon meet up with a Pirate Girl whose Jump Ship can take them to other planets, so they can pursue the Blakeists and find more MacGuffins. This installment added the ability to get out of your 'Mech and into other 'Mechs, as well as battle tanks, VTOLs, and Powered Armor.

Both games featured online multiplayer over Xbox Live in the form of modes like Deathmatch and Capture the Flag. The second game also had a persistent "Conquest" mode in which players battled for control of territories over the course of many matches.

There was also an installment on the Nintendo DS, MechAssault: Phantom War. It is unrelated story-wise to the Xbox games, instead set many years later after the collapse of the HPG Network and staring a named protagonist, Mechwarrior Vallen Price. It was less well-received then the Xbox games, due to a lack of multiplayer and issues with the controls.

Canon Discontinuity: "Considered apocryphal", to quote the BattleTech wiki. This is in line with the policy of BattleTech canon in general, wherein any inconsistencies are considered to be ComStar deliberately screwing with the records.

Charged Attack: PPCs work this way as opposed to a cool-down as seen in the MechWarrior series. The heavy missile weapons used by certain mechs, possibly Arrow IVs, also work like this.

Cool Plane: The second game has player-usable VTOL aircraft, armed with missiles and able to pick up and carry a variety of objects. This comes into play more so in the multiplayer, where they can carry bombs.

Cover Identity Anomaly: One mission in MechAssault has the player pilot a captured enemy Thor into a Word of Blake base to download some intel from their computers. The disguise almost works, until one of the Blake officers asks you to transmit your ID code or be fired upon. Fortunately, they wait just long enough for Foster to download the intel.

Defeat Equals Explosion: Even more so than the MechWarrior games. Every mech that dies explodes in a violent explosion and can easily cause a massive chain reaction if many others(even you) are near it

Dismantled MacGuffin: The Data Core found at the end of the first game proves to be one of a set of five, created by Jerome Blake, the founder of the ComStar company. Exactly what they contain is unclear, but they are used several times to supercharge current technology. This later becomes a plot point in the game's sequel.

Featureless Protagonist: The main character of the original game. Averted in the sequel, which has him as a male Heroic Mime. His eyes are hidden by a visor, though you can see them in the cover art.

Final Boss: The Ragnarok mech. Not only does it have Gauss Cannons, the best lasers, and a weapon called the magma gun, it also has an energy shield. Later becomes Boss in Mook Clothing when the final level of the second game has you fight multiple ones.

Lost Technology: The Data Cores likely contain Star League-era tech, given the fact they were created by the founder of ComStar.

Made of Explodium: Mechs,Power Armor,Tanks,Buildings,Cars,Spaceships.It's guaranteed that a lot of things are going to explode throughout your playthrough

Made of Iron: Whatever those data cores are made out of, they sure will survive. The final one takes this Up to Eleven when it survives a spaceship getting dropped on it and doesn't even looked scratched.

The Nicknamer: Natalia, who has names for the Mechwarrior and Foster. "Tiger" for the former.

Overheating: As in MechWarrior, weapons generate heat when fired, with Energy Weapons generating much more then ballistics or missiles. Unlike in Mechwarrior, however, overheating your 'Mech will not force a shutdown or blow it up- you will simply be unable to fire until the heat meter drops out of the red.

Powered Armor: Seen in both games, but pilotable in the second. Clan-type Elementals appear, as well as an experimental suit created by Foster with the help of a Data Core. In addition to a nasty mortar attack that can one-shot tanks, it has a "NeuroJack" feature that facilitates the hijacking of enemy 'Mechs.

Rule of Symbolism: Invoked by Foster when trying to figure out where the last two Data Cores. He discovers that the star systems where each of the five were hidden form a constellation of the ComStar logo.

Skele Bot 9000: The Final Boss of the second game is what looks to be an unholy fusion of an Atlas and the human reaper embryo from Mass Effect 2, and it's supercharged with all five Data Cores. It looks scarier then it is, though- the strategy to defeat it involves Attack Its Weak Point and the aforementioned hijack mechanic.

Then again, it is only about 1/3 finished, with no pelvis or legs. Presumably if it had been finished, it would have been an absolute unmitigated terror on the battlefield.

Tanks for Nothing: Enemy tanks are really only a threat in large groups, though the Rommel tanks you can drive are more effective. They sometimes come equipped with "Null Sig" tech and have a zoom feature on their cannons.

Too Dumb to Live: It's a really, really bad idea to get out of your 'Mech or other vehicle if there are any enemies around. Naturally, you HAVE toin certain areas. You have demolition charges, and enemies cannot see you unless you're literally right in front of them, so it's not as bad as it sounds.

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